All that’s jazzAt the recent launch of an international lifestyle clothing chain, the stage and the venue had been set in black and blue for a night of ‘romance and blues’, with an ensemble of musicians that boasted the likes of guitar virtuoso Aamir Zaki, drummer extraordinaire Gumby and two musicians who had been specially flown in for the event: Columbian saxophonist, Diego Miguel and Syrian cellist, Diaa Harb. The event also showcased the talent and skills of Shehrez Zaki, Aamir’s nephew, who played bass on several songs.

With a full attendance from the glitterati of Karachi, the performance was opened by Diego, who proceeded to perform a solo on the saxophone titled Summer Time. He was accompanied on off-time drums by Gumby, who is otherwise better known in local circles for his high-powered, energetic drumming during various rock concerts.

We see a different side of Gumby when he performs in jazz: he plays with a care and finesse that makes every beat stand out. One moment, his drums are barely audible as he switches to brushes, holding the composition together and building up anticipation for what is to come next. The next moment, he lets go and picks up tempo, playing fast enough to have his drumming dominate the performance entirely, albeit for several captivating moments. As a performer, Gumby demands attention — he plays with a heart and soul that reaches out to all those present.

Although Diego tried to punctuate Gumby’s drumming here and there, he mellowed in comparison and seemed to have given up in the end. The spotlight then moved on to a corner in the audience from where appeared the surprise performer of the evening, Aamir Zaki, who quickly took to the stage and launched into a cover of Funky Chicken, a popular number by renown bassist, Jaco Pastorious. A light, fun composition, Aamir seemed to enjoy the performance.

Holding the guitar close in the classical position, he plucked away at the strings, inviting applause and shouts of encouragement from those present. Now and then, he would motion towards the saxophonist who, for some reason, looked like he felt out of place and would politely toot on the saxophone while Aamir would take over the performance again. The performance ended with Gumby, Diego and Aamir each throwing in a lightly energetic solo.

They then left the stage to make space for Diaa, the featured cellist, who began by performing an Arabic-inspired composition. He started out slowly, blending in the melody gracefully. He could be seen peering in at the audience as if to gauge their response. Diaa played with a confidence that spoke volumes of his experience when it came to performing live and which starkly contrasted the polite hesitation that Diego had displayed till then.

Following the performance, all the musicians took the stage, and with Aamir Zaki on lead and Shehrez Zaki on bass, they launched into a cover of Steely Dan’s classic number, Do It Again. Aamir, who was very much at home on stage, seemed to be providing cues to every musician to perform their individual bits. Shehrez on the other hand, was comparatively shy, keeping himself away from the limelight, playing a steady bass line throughout. The introductory notes of the next cover, Baker Street by Gerry Raferty were met with delightful yells from the audience. Aamir threw himself into the song and provided a heartfelt rendition of the lyrics. Customising the song to suit his own musical style, he concluded the song by swinging the guitar around in an energetic solo.

The final piece consisted solely of improvisations by each musician. One thing that Aamir and Gumby have in common is the sheer amount of energy that they both display when left to perform what comes to them naturally. Instinctively familiar with each other’s style, their performance was perfectly complemented. It was heartening to note that this energy seemed to rub off on Diego as well, who launched an aggressive solo on his saxophone. The composition was then brought back to the same Arabic-inspired number that Diaa had opened his performance with. Aamir played the same melody on his guitar and Diaa took the lead and complemented it on his cello.

There are very few performances that let you relive every single moment with the same initial excitement, and the Dockers San Francisco launch by event managers Dream Merchants happened to be one of them. More exciting than the performance itself was watching the music evolve with the musicians who instantaneously acquainted themselves with each others’ style of performing. Diego’s last solo in which he shed his inhibitions was significant in the sense that it was probably the only moment when he truly seemed to give himself to the performance.

The musicians’ personalities shone through each instrument they played, and the night, coupled with the impeccable ambience, turned out to truly be drenched in jazz and blues.

First Published:
Images
December 24th, 2006

A farewell to Kara

The Arts Council Theatre opened the doors of its auditorium last weekend for the screening of the last movie to show at the Sixth KaraFilm Festival, Immaculate Conception by Jamil Dehlavi. A huge crowd had gathered in the hallway, most waiting patiently while a few complained consequent to the 45-minute delay. Within minutes, the same crowd dispersed to fill the auditorium seats and the movie began. Post-screening, a question and answer session took place.

The Sixth KaraFilm Festival, which carried the Ghalib-inspired tagline of Tamanna Ka Chatta Qadam (the sixth step of desire), was symbolised by a butterfly over a desert rose, the desert rose being used as a symbol for Karachi. The sixth Kara also carried forward a tradition of having the film-maker and the audience interact, a move which no doubt proved to be popular among movie-enthusiasts, students of film-making and anyone who was interested. Instances in which a film began late were rare and occurred in a select few, which was a welcome change from last year’s Kara.

he venue featured a creatively done up stage with a grid of screens showing scenes from different movies towards the right side and the Kara butterfly set against colourful squares at the other end. Although beautiful to look at, the set-design was not ideal for performances since the sheer detail tended to distract the viewers’ focus from those performing during the ceremony. There were large screens scattered throughout the venue which displayed the names of the award winners and clips from the Ciepie- (pronounced seepee meaning seashell) winning movies.

The event was hosted by Adnan Malik and Zainab Qayyum to a full house comprising politicians, musicians, television personalities, businessmen and film-makers. Although their tenure on stage seemed well scripted, one could not help but notice how they, at times, seemed to blatantly read from the bits of papers they carried.

It was interesting to note that although the featured directors for the current Kara were Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi, British-desi film-maker Jamil Dehlavi and the French film-maker Frabcoise Traffic, the one movie that sold out before the day of its showing and which managed to elicit the largest crowd was the Indian import, Omkara, no doubt for the star power it wielded in the form of an appearance by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan. This was evident from the small group of people that seemed to monitor every move he made and followed him everywhere (even to the restroom where additional security had to be posted) at the closing ceremony that took place at the PAF Museum.

The first performers of the evening were a French jazz band that went by the name of Caravan Quartet, courtesy of the Alliance Françoise. Although their backstage warm up depicted them as skilful musicians, they failed to create much of a presence on stage (save for those sitting near the front). A major reason can be accounted to the fact that the sound during their performance wasn’t good. They closed their performance with a song about “the relationship between a man and a woman”.

Begum Nawazish Ali took the stage before the second group of musicians came up and sent the audience rollicking with her cleverly humourous take on the film-makers present and on the movies that were meant to be. Donning a new blonde look, no one was spared from the Begum’s suggestive comments as she engaged the audience for roughly half-an-hour before prancing off stage.

Sajid and Zeeshan, the second act to perform, started off with their animated single, Freestyle Dive. Complementing their performance were clips from their videos and graphics that were being displayed on the screens around the hall. They went on to perform a non-video single off their debut album titled Free And Underestimated, and subsequently closed the performance with the extended version of their single King of Self, which they dedicated to Kara. The sound during their performance was much better and could be heard clearly. Though one isn’t sure whether their performance fully catered to the audience present, the response they elicited was much better than the one that was given to the Caravan Quartet.

But the real stars of the evening were Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood of Strings, also the last act to perform and by then the evening had dragged on into the wee hours of the morning with the audience quietly raving for food. They performed some of their most popular singles from Na Jaane Kyon to the rock version of their recently popular number, Yeh Hai Meri Kahani, with which they closed their act. They proved to be immensely popular with the crowd, both young and old.

Besides the incredibly prolonged duration of the event, the only other criticism is that there just seemed to be too many awards that were given out. Most of those who were given the awards weren’t present and out of those who were, Ahmed Rizvi’s acceptance for the awards given to Man Push Cart was the most memorable. The sixth KaraFilm Festival has come a long way from its inception, and anticipation for the seventh one has already begun.


Kara Awards

Best live action short:
Tricko (The T-Shirt) by Hossein Martin Fazeli (Czech Republic) Avatar by Llvis Quilez (Spain)

Best animated short:
Adjustment by Ian Mackinnon (United Kingdom)

Best Pakistani film made for television:
Daani directed by Farooq Rind and produced by Khalid Ahmed

Best documentary:
AFSPA, 1958 by Haobam Paban Kumar (India)
Fuego de Angel (Angel’s Fire) directed by Marcelo Bukin (Spain and Peru)

Best female actor in a leading role:
Nathalie Baye in Le Petit Lieutenant (France)

Best male actor in a leading role:
Saif Ali Khan in Omkara (India)
Ahmad Razvi in Man Push Cart (US)

Best female actor in a supporting role:
Rukayya Prachi in Ontorjatra (Bangladesh)

Best male actor in a supporting role:
Raza Jaffrey in Infinite Justice (UK-Pakistan)

Best cinematography:
Marcel Zyskind for The Road to Guantanamo (UK)

Best editing:
Mat Whitecross and Michael Winterbottom for
The Road to Guantanamo (United Kingdom)

Best original screenplay:
Jaideep Sahni for Khosla Ka Ghosla (India)

Best adapted screenplay:
Vishal Bharadwaj, Robin Bhatt and Abhishek Chaubey for Omkara (India)

Best musical score:
Vishal Bharadwaj for Omkara (India)

Best direction:
Ramin Bahrani for Man Push Cart (US)

Best feature film:
Girish Kasaravalli for Nayi Neralu (In the Shadow of a Dog) from India

Lifetime achievement award (1):
Talat Hussain

Lifetime achievement award (2):
S. B. John

KaraFilm Society award:
Mahesh Bhatt


First Published:
Images
December 24th, 2006

Keeping it real with Josh



Contrary to belief, the Josh lads turn out to be rather nice. They were in Karachi recently for the launch of their third album, Mausam, and despite a hectic schedule during their three-day stay, they agreed to a last-minute interview.

The current line-up of Josh comprises Q (Qurram Hussain) and Rup (Rupinder Magon). For this particular interview, Q is the first to turn up in a new afro hairstyle and a pair of shades that make him look uncannily like Lenny Kravitz. He laughs at the similarity, and then proceeds to relate how he once gained access to a club in Morocco pretending to be Kravitz himself. Q is originally from Karachi — he stayed in Pakistan for some 15 years before moving to Canada with his family. Compared to Rup, he seems eager to answer questions first, turning out to be quite a chatterbox.

Rup, who arrives shortly after, is quieter with a tendency to add a witty remark here and there. He is more on guard and — as I later discover — is primarily in charge of the ‘business side’ of Josh. Hailing from a somewhat religious Sikh family, Rup picked up the tabla at the age of six and later on advanced to the harmonium. He also knows how to play the piano.

The spiritual aspect to Josh’s music appears to come from Rup, whose first musical experience came when he accompanied his mother to the gurdwara (Sikh temple) where she would sing hymns supported by his tabla beats.

Teaming up with his brother, Rik, and Shazi Hussain, they formed Josh and went on to perform covers of various popular films and Punjabi songs, qawwalis and ghazals. Around that time, Q was finding his own musical voice, which in turn ended up as a contribution towards Josh’s debut album: he composed and wrote the title track Mein Hoon Tanha. The album was released sometime in 2001 and received a lukewarm response. By the time their second album, Kabhi, was released in 2004 — that brought them into international focus as a promising new band — Rik had left Josh.

Rup elaborates why: “He left during our pre-Kabhi days and decided to take on a more spiritual side to life. He didn’t want all the media attention; he just wasn’t built for that.” While previously Rik used to be around their studio a lot, Rup says he rarely ever visits now. “He actually sang on Kabhi. If you the read the credits, his name is there.”

Apparently, he is still quite an indispensable entity. “He started the band,” adds Q. “He is still the first guy we can go to to get the most honest opinion.”

The band members started Josh Entertaiment some two years ago with the idea that they would start producing artistes. Have they been successful in finding and producing an artiste so far? “Every time we get round to it, something new comes up. The idea is still there and we have done some projects that we haven’t released just yet. It’s just a company where we produce different artistes, from the music to everything, including the lyrics,” says Rup. “More importantly though, it is very difficult to find new artistes or accept new artistes who are serious.”

“We are willing to guide them if people are willing to work hard,” adds Q. “People have this misconception that it’s easy to put out a song and the rest takes care of itself.”

With Josh based in Canada, who are the people they are working with? “We’re predominantly working with desi people at the moment, but even now, we’re not sure whether the record is going to come out,” says Rup. “We can take artistes from anywhere because we meet a lot of people through our channels. But right now, Josh Entertainment is a very small thing. The reason we started it is because we’re primarily producers, not just singers.”

“The songwriting aspect allows us to do so much more with our talents, so we have that window of opportunity open,” adds Q, elaborating further upon how they make music: “We’re always making music whenever we can. An idea will generally come when I’m not sitting in the studio but driving, etc. I call myself on my home number and I leave a message about that idea. So then when I go back home, I make a piece based on that idea.”

Musicians don’t start out making a lot of money; most of them have to keep on working on their music and learn to take rejections before they finally get their big break. But even after becoming ‘successful musicians’, most of them continue with their day jobs, since a career in music does not guarantee a paycheque at the end of each month. Both Q and Rup had day jobs before Kabhi; do they plan to continue with them? “When Kabhi was popular, we were doing a lot of shows, and we expected that by the time we would be ready with our next album, we would put it up,” says Q, adding, “But what we didn’t take into account is that the business side of things can take very long. Kabhi was our first successful album, but I guess we weren’t experienced enough.”

“We are still poor musicians,” says Rup simply.

“Being successful in desi music is not the same as being successful in North American music, especially while living here. It is a big problem on its own as far as the monetary aspect is concerned. We can’t do shows as often, among other things. That being said, we are able to sustain ourselves. But we still have to think about budgets,” says Q.

“Things are very good, actually. The fact that we’ve gone through the ghareeb phase, our habits are still the same. We are still not going to go and spend exuberant amounts of money for nothing; we are still going to look for a good deal. It has a lot to do with the training we got from our parents and that we don’t believe in wasting money. There is no point in being flamboyant; there is nothing to gain from it,” says Rup reflectively. Relating this to the album, he says, “In fact our first track, Mahi Ve, speaks about that. It has a Sufi touch to it, ‘Mahi Ve Mahi Ve Arz Karan, Menu Di Asmani Fitrat De,’ which means give us those heavenly habits. The idea was to talk about a song where we could remain humble.”

Q has previously admitted to having been an ardent follower of Slash and has listed Sound Garden, Pearl Jam and the Stone Temple Pilots as some of his favourite bands. The music found in these bands (primarily rock) is not the kind of music that Josh is known for. How did that come about?

“I guess it’s because I wasn’t looking out to make a rock band,” laughs Q. Rup adds thoughtfully, “Listening to something doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to make it.” “The other thing is that then there have been so many other things that have influenced me,” says Q. “We used to have a lot of arguments in the beginning. Coming from rock, I had a different idea of not only how music should be made but how it should be promoted, etc. But then it changed after meeting Rup, who was listening to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and a lot of heavy eastern music like qawwalis.”

“There is a song called Ajnabi in Masuam that has predominant guitars,” adds Rup, referring to the album. “I think that’s the most guitars any song of ours has ever had.”

“What is good about going through a lot of influences is that there is evolution in music and you will see that in Masuam, from song to song,” finishes Q, bringing the conversation back to their album. The title track of the album, Mausam, is a cover of a Pakistani song. What is the story behind that? “Q always talked about this program called Fifty Fifty. So we got the DVD and there were these hilarious skits which we thought were fantastic,” answers Rub. “In between these skits, they used to play a song once in a while. One of these songs was Aaey Mausam Rangeelay Sohanay by Zubeida Khanum. I fell in love with it and I kept singing and humming it. I said we should do a remake of this song.

“In three albums we haven’t done any remakes. One day, Q called me up and said that he had made the music for it. I came over and listened to it and was wowed,” continues Rup. “We’ve actually changed the melody on it and a word or two as well. The music is all completely different.” Since Masuam is a Pakistani song, Josh is planning to shoot the video of the song in Pakistan as well.

It’s good to know, though, that the band members of Josh have a good head on their shoulders. They have come a long way since their first album, Mein Hoon Tanha, and despite whatever they might say, their music is still very commercial — their primary listeners are the masses.

A number of artistes complain that they often have to concentrate on the business aspect that distracts them from making music. Rup says, “Any successful artiste will tell you that, but you have to remember that it’s a race out there and it keeps you on your toes.”

Adds Q, “I don’t think it has affected us creatively as far as music is concerned. We don’t think about how to make a saleable album.”

Mausam seems like an album for all seasons (as the cover will also display: there are tiny icons beside every song depicting what season it belongs to). But whether it rises to the magnanimous success of Kabhi is something that is yet to be seen.

note:
— photograph 1: Josh, Q and Rup.
— photograph 2: Qurram Hussain aka Q.
— photograph 3: Rup aka Rupinder Magon

credits:
Photography by Amean J

First Published:
Images
December 3rd, 2006

Here to the future

Change itself is the only true constant in life. That phrase rings closer and closer to home with each passing day given the rate at which advancements in technology in almost every field imaginable are being made. Nowadays, with every other person possessing enough skills to be considered half-a-techie, it is becoming increasingly difficult to catch up to where the cyber-world is moving. It makes one wonder that how are we, as people who supposedly benefit from these advancements, going to be affected by it.

The area of technology affecting our lives at home has been debated upon a countless number of times. Intel recently made the first real breakthrough towards having a digital home through by rolling out VIIV technology. Through this, home entertainment and all forms of communication can fit in one box and accessed from various places from around the house. The implications of technology are not limited to the home only and are affecting more and more people in their work lives and skills pertaining to them.

Newer communication methods have made it easier to work from home. High-speed internet coupled with e-mail and web-conferencing does away with the need for a person to be physically present in the workplace. Documents can be e-mailed and web-conferencing can always be employed when a constant presence is essential Services offered by numerous companies like Skype and Net2Phone allow users to make telephone and video calls over the internet. This has made web-conferencing easier and much more convenient for not only the business user but the average home-user as well.

An increase in such technology-related advancements and creations will signal a gradual demise of the traditional brick-and-mortar business along with the birth of what is referred to as ‘hidden economies’. People working from home for companies that are not located in the same country as them earn in local as well as foreign currencies, while spending that income in their home country. Teleworking has also assisted in the recent increase of cafés with high-speed wireless internet and customised corners for coffee-fans to station their laptops on and work. The reasons behind users logging on from coffee shops while having their own reserved corners are due to the environment being less stressful than a workplace and offering less distraction then at home.

Faster and easier communication has also served in flattening the tall hierarchical structures in the workplace. It has become much easier for a person situated near the bottom of the hierarchy to communicate directly to another placed near the top. This serves to hasten up the decision-making process since a person does not rally through numerous individuals to get the point across to the top management anymore. This also creates the need for working individuals to possess greater communication skills and develop faster decision-making since faster and effective communication would require a person to display quick judgement, leadership and initiative (in an ever-changing world, you cant stick to one concept for too long). There will be a greater need for individuals to think far ahead, develop strategies and have the ability to be able to see it through.

There will be a lesser need for manual labour since most of the manual work is expected to be done by robots. That only leaves the task of supervising the robots and ensuring the whole process goes trouble-free. Also, generic skills such as reading, writing, and problem-solving will also be in demand since individuals in almost all fields of work will be expected to deal with little gadgets now and then.

On the social front, with more and more women entering the workplace and things becoming easier for housewives to work as well, we will witness an increase in dual-income families or, in the case of single-parents, single-income families. However, with work potentially spilling into overtime (or time reserved for children at home), there could be an increase in conflicts and crossovers between work and family life.

Technology is not just changing the way we live or work. It is currently in the process of reshaping entire industries. Entrepreneurs with small-scale businesses catering to a certain niche in the market only are now popping up everywhere. Collectively, they pose a significant threat to large-scale corporations serving the same product or service on a wider level.

At this point it wouldn’t be practical to predict whether technology is good or bad, what is important is that it is here to stay. Whether one likes it or not, technology will infiltrate every aspect of a person’s life: at work, home or during play. Sooner or later individuals will have to learn to adapt to it. The way things are going, the sooner done the better.

First Published:
Spider
December 2006

Overboard with Overload


The concept of enjoying music that is purely instrumental is still relatively new in Pakistan. In a country where most of the music listening population relates more to the lyrics of a song then to the music, Overload, primarily a drums and percussion band, decided to host an all instrumental gig in Karachi’s Bahria auditorium. Along with themselves, they featured the ever popular Puppo Sain and his student, Jhoora Sain.

Coming to the performance with only a hazy idea of Puppo Sain’s dhol-swinging stunt, and not knowing what to expect, one was confronted by a dimly lit stage on which separate platforms had been set for each musician to perform on. The arrangement was such that every musician on stage was clearly visible.

The gig started roughly around an hour late, much to the annoyance of the band who waited until the people filled up the auditorium seats. Coming one by one, each band member settled into his desired place with light-works being displayed to accentuate their arrival. With of different seasons and places on earth being projected in the background, Overload, featuring the Sains started off with a relatively mellow and slower number number, Days gone by, which eventually merged into the more upbeat Only to the deafeningly energetic Storm. One must mention here that once the band starts performing, they do not stop after every song and continue playing till the end of the performance. Each song transitions into the next smoothly and without any interruptions.

The light work and the scenes projected would alternate and change according to the beat and the mood of the song that was being played. The sound quality can be described as delightfully-deafening. Every beat could be heard clearly and every chord from each instrument could be deciphered singularly. The coordination between the bandmembers was flawless: Farhad (drums) would nod to Puppo and in turn Puppo would nod and Jhoora, and lastly Farhad would exchange muted looks with Hasan (tumkinari – Egyptian drums) whenever a slight change in the beat being played was needed. Sheraz, who was on keyboards, did not seem bound by any such confirmations.

Overload closed their performance with Dhamaal, which incidentally will also be their next video on television. In this track Puppo swung his dhol around in the middle of the stage and continued playing it while swinging it —a feat he is famous for. After performing Dhamaal, the band left rather abruptly. The audience was left seated in their chairs with several of them demanding an encore. And so the bandmembers reappeared a few minutes later to render their performance of Dhamaal.

At the end of it all, Farhad introduced the band members, at popular request spoke in Punjabi but switched back to Urdu since not all present could understand Punjabi well. At the mention of his name, Puppo got a standing ovation and it was amusing to watch him wave back.

What was notable about the performance other then the lack of a vocalist was the attempt at creating an ambience for those attending. Keeping an audience engaged for an hour is no small feat, and Overload managed to do more then just that —they left an audience hungry for more.

credits: photos taken by Amean J

First Published:
Images
November 26th, 2006

Ali on the edge

Ali Zafar is not just a pretty face. Behind the dreamy, often dazed eyes and dimpled smile that has adorned many billboards (with many more to come) is a person who knows what he wants — and is willing to do just about everything to get things the way he likes them.

For this interview, he came dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a T-shirt, no grooming and no pretensions. What becomes immediately noticeable is that he appears to be extremely dazed and spaced out while conversing. He apologises and tends to say what is at the back of his mind. When we start talking again, his eyes develop a sharp focus and he transforms into a serious, focused person, quite unlike the light-headed, fun-loving guy we are used to watching on screen.

Ali has an uncanny ability to observe little details and has a knack for making insightful observations that appear ironic most of the time. He is also a lot smarter than he lets on.

The second album is always the trickiest, say the sages. More so if the first album has been successful. The second album determines whether the artiste in question is a one-hit wonder or the ‘real deal’. The second album also determines how an artiste has moved on from his/her debut. Questions such as ‘has the artiste experienced growth and if so, was it positive’ arise and it’s no wonder that most artistes complain of being under extraordinary pressure when working on their second set of songs.

For Ali, rising up to the success of his debut album will not be easy. He needs to control every aspect of it — from songwriting to production —leaving no margin for error. It has now been almost three years since Channo came on screen and launched Ali Zafar as the blue-eyed boy of Pakistan’s music industry. A vocal reincarnation of Kishore Kumar, not only can he sing well, he has good looks to spare. And he puts them to good use. While songs off his album scored one hit after another, Ali could be seen smiling down from larger-than-life billboards, endorsing everything from mobile phones to biscuits to telephonic connections. And why not? After all, an artiste has to eat.

After spending almost two years in the studios and running around the globe, Ali’s second album, Masty, is finally ready to be launched in the market. What is this album going to be like? “That’s always been the most difficult question for me to answer. How can you define an entire art form and tell what properties and characteristics make it different? It’s music. It’s something very abstract and difficult to define,” he says. “But the sound is going to be richer than before, there are going to be live instruments, it’s going to be bigger than before.

“I have spent a lot of time in the production. It has taken me about two-and-a-half years from songwriting to developing the melody to recording it to taking the files internationally and mixing the album in different studios around the world with foreign experts.”

So who were these foreigners he worked with? “In London, I went to a guy called Marrow, and in Manchester the studio I went to was The Future Lounge.”

Why not just record the album in Pakistan? “Working here is very difficult. There is a lack of professionalism. If someone gives you a time and a date, he or she can disappear as well.” He breaks off here and then continues, “But it is important for an artiste to go through that whole process in order to grow. I also lost a lot of sleep and suffered a lot of stress. But at the end of the day, after passing through all of that, I have 10 times more knowledge than before. Plus, I’ve learnt to be patient.

“Technically, it was important that the sound of this album be better than the sound of the previous album. For that, there were limitations in Pakistan. Plus, I had a picture in my mind for every song that I made.” He makes his point by sketching box-like compartments in mid-air with his hands. “I also wanted to be involved in each and every process that this album went through and that is why it took me a longer time.”

One feels the need to commend him in wanting to produce a product that would essentially be several notches higher in quality then those available in the market. However, what good would a well-developed CD do in a country where piracy is rampant? The same album will be ripped off and re-recorded on another CD with a definite loss in quality. How many, in the end, would benefit from the better sound quality that Ali is aiming for? More so, from among the masses who have been his ardent followers, how many will really notice the subtle differences that exist between an original and a pirated CD? Perhaps these are questions that can only go unanswered for the time being.

“I initially thought that I’d go to London and mix my album there,” Ali continues. “I stayed there for 15 days just to mix one song. Then I went to Manchester and mixed four songs there. But when I came back and listened to those songs, I didn’t like them. My money went to waste as I had to scrap them. Then I went to India and mixed the rest of the album there. I had to go back and forth just to get the right sound,” he says.

Speaking of the album Masti, what contents should we be looking forward to? “There are at least three songs about a girl. Besides those, most of the songs are related to my personal experiences and feelings. A lot of it has to do with how I want to be driven towards my goals and the energy and the hope that I need. I want to share that with everybody else who wants to achieve something in life.” Apparently, he has attempted to create an upbeat but very inspirational album and the mix, although unusual, should be interesting to hear.

Ali has often been criticised for being too commercial as an artiste. What does he have to say about the accusation? “I don’t believe in the philosophy that we (musicians) work only for ourselves and that we don’t care what the world says.” He says that if this is the approach an artiste wants to take, he shouldn’t be releasing his work for public listening. “Keep on listening to it in your studio and stay happy. How can people not matter?” he says incredulously. “People matter to me a lot. That’s why most of my tracks are easy listening. It’s fun, it’s happy and gives off positive vibes and energy.”

Moving on to his videos, one also wonders why Ali has switched from Tariq Amin to Nabila as his primary stylist? Specially when Tariq’s influence in his initial videos, most notably in Channo, was very apparent. The song was a hit, too, so why the change? “Nabila gave me a makeover for Ek Pal and I think change is good. I don’t believe in groups and lobbies; I like working with everybody and anybody who is talented,” he says. After a moment of reflection, he adds, “I don’t want to portray that I need a stylist to sell my music. A stylist complements you and yes, presentation counts a lot, but depending on them and believing that your music won’t sell without them is what I don’t believe in.”

And what will be the first video off the new album? “It will be called Masti and it’s just like the name. It’s a lot of fun; very hyper and very energetic. It was shot in India and it has been directed by an Indian director. I’ve made two videos in India; the other one has been directed by Ahsan Rahim.” Who else has contributed towards the album? “One song has been composed by Yousaf Salahuddin. A line here and there from one or two songs has been written by Khawaja Parvez. He guided me a lot for the rest of the songs. Otherwise I have composed and written the rest of the songs myself.” Almost as an afterthought, he adds, “I create my own things from scratch to the end. From story boarding to concepts, videos and music, I do everything.”

For Masti, Ali has signed up with Fire Records, a newfound record label. Again, why? “Well, they were paying me the most money” he says candidly, “and I’m comfortable with the marketing and promotion they’ve laid out for me.”

note: the photograph of Ali's album cover came out really screwed.

First Published:
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November 19th, 2006

`Video killed the Radio Star’


Music Television — those two words sum it up: a channel dedicated to broadcasting music. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Launched in 1981, ironically with the single, Video killed the Radio Star, by a British band called The Buggles, Music Television (MTV) soon became a household name, both abroad and locally among the desis privileged enough to have access to the wonders of a channel dedicated solely to music (and the perception of ‘cool’ that came with it). That was until cable television became the norm.

All of a sudden, MTV was accessible and known to all and could no longer remain hidden as a legend of sorts. In October 2006, after a year of whispered talks and speculations, ‘cool’ came home: the Indus Television network launched MTV Pakistan in place of Indus Music (IM).

With the latter already a widely recognised television channel, and with MTV coming in its place, there is a general apprehension that MTV Pakistan would be just like another IM under a jazzed up new skin; and why not? Most of the video jockeys (VJs) — the people who give a face to the channel — as well as the management, are the same. In a candid talk, Ghazanfar Ali, the CEO of the Indus TV network, answers the question that seems to be on everyone’s lips: How is MTV Pakistan going to be any different from IM?

“Music can’t be different. It is going to remain the same. I’m not going to be pretentious and tell you that it will change. It’s just programming, and programming has its own look and feel. We would like to take the next step and I feel we have (already). In the last six months, we have just worked on the fact that MTV should not look like IM. And I think we have succeeded, although that’s for people to say in the end.” Elaborating further, he says that they are planning to bring in new shows, new faces and new expertise to further build upon MTV’s brand strength.

Internationally, MTV has built up the value of its brand over a period of 20 or so years by working on their programming content, expanding to other countries and constantly improvising. Compared to that, the Indus TV network, when it took over MTV Pakistan, was still in a state of infancy in the world of television.

And what about meeting international standards in terms of programming and content? “People from Singapore, India and the US have come in to share their experiences with us. I think we’ve learnt a lot from them already,” says Ghazanfar.

After taking a look at most of the local channels that dominate our television screens, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that most of the individuals working both behind and in front of the cameras don’t seem to have a very clear idea of what is required of them as professionals in the field. As a result, the lack of quality programming goes going hand-in-hand with unoriginal ideas and content, inadequate use of software and inadequately skilled manpower. This coupled with an ever-increasing number of channels has resulted in confused and irritated viewers.

With only two schools in Pakistan imparting skills related to film-making and production, and that too with limited faculty members, schools who otherwise have nothing remotely to do with electronic media in their curricula are cashing in on this opportunity and advertise courses and new-found degrees in skills pertinent to the e-media.

In the face of the above mayhem, the idea of real professionals coming in and sharing their trade secrets along with a bit of training and development seems like a godsend. It just might provide local media professionals with the direction they are so desperately seeking and might step up programming quality by a notch or two.

But with currently only one channel benefiting from that period of enlightenment, what will happen to the rest? And more importantly, will they be able to catch up well enough?

IM was still going strong when it was taken off the airwaves to make place for MTV Pakistan. So what is going to happen to it? “It’s going as a block on Indus Vision,” says Ghazanfar. Why not just keep it? “Because there would have been a conflict of interest. If you’re going to do something, take ownership. If you’re going to be wishy-washy about it then don’t do it. MTV Pakistan is MTV Pakistan and IM was the pioneer and the catalyst to bring MTV here, but you have to take ownership.”

About activities other than programming, he says, “In March, we’re having the MTV Awards followed by the MTV Style Awards and then the MTV Video Awards.” But how can a music channel have style awards? “It’s more fashion based. You see, its ‘young fashion’. Basically their philosophy is about ‘youth’ and that’s what we’re targeting.”

With the acquisition of the franchise, does the Indus TV network have access to the MTV database when it comes to music and also a host of other perks including fresh graphics and animations to display on their channel? “Yes, we have access to all their awards and we have access to all their music, but we’re sticking to the Pakistani genre. Otherwise, you can see MTV Europe, MTV India or whatever. We want to stick to our own people. I think that they should learn that they have to be the best and they have to move on. And they have now a brand to go with it,” adds Ghazanfar.

Other channels may not be adequately equipped to respond to the quality one hopes MTV Pakistan, with its added benefits of training and accessible electronic material, will display, but it should certainly pass the message that it’s about time they step up to game and give their programming some serious thought and investment, not to mention, take a long-term perspective of their channel.

As for how well will MTV Pakistan survive and live up to the brand name it has acquired? No doubt, when IM started out, it pioneered in entertainment dedicated solely to music; their VJs became household names in a matter of weeks; they launched the first music-related awards show in Pakistan, after the EMI Awards. However, instead of getting better with time, their awards took a downward spiral and were suspected by many of being somewhat biased. One hopes that that the team heading MTV Pakistan has learnt from the mistakes made earlier and that the MTV Awards, whenever they take place, will be better and more organised.

First Published:
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November 12th, 2006

Hips don’t lie

Nighat Chaudhry recently performed at the Arts Council Theatre in Karachi for a SIUT charity on a stage that was set very simply and a microphone facing the floor so as to project the sound of her ghungroos across the hall.

Very soon into the performance, one could see that Nighat’s Kathak and her tatkaar were very basic and not as complex or as masterful as one would expect it to be. However, she did seem to tailor her dance according to the general taste of the audience present. Her Kathak, although incredibly simple, had more hip-shaking than is usually the norm. That, coupled with her swirling dupatta appeared to be rather well appreciated by the audience.

One has to give Nighat credit for keeping a pleasant face throughout her performance, during which four of her students also joined in. At the end of it all, she came on stage and dramatically declared that she was very proud of being a Pakistani. Later, she elaborated why: “The audience was receptive and respectful. They were feeling me instead of judging me. You can pick up those vibes and that’s why I felt proud of being a Pakistani.”

Post performance, one wondered why she chose this particular charity to work with? “I do a lot for charity. I’ve worked with Imran Khan and for the Shaukat Khanam Hospital and SOS. I did my lot for the earthquake victims and their rehabilitation so much so that I gave up dance for three months. But it’s part of my work as an artiste and a person. I’m close to causes like these because you can make this much of a difference; and the only way I can do that is through my art form. There’s nothing better than that. For me to do something like this is more rewarding and emotionally more satisfying.”

Currently involved with dance-related projects with Prime Television and working on conceptualising dance compositions with other organisations, one of them along the themes of Moenjodaro, Nighat feels very strongly about the channels she’s working with: “We say dance is open but when do you see Naheed Siddiqui on television? Where do you see Fasihur Rehman or Sheema Kirmani on TV? I’m doing conceptual work. That’s why people call me up. But what about my ustaad? Why aren’t we giving more room to good quality performances and artistes of high calibre instead of having thumkas and jhatkas?”

Nighat Chaudhry did not start out learning Kathak. During her childhood, she was in London where her parents set her up to learn ballet and contemporary dance at the Laban Centre. She, however, switched to Kathak after watching Naheed Siddiqui, and became enamoured with Naheed’s style, poise and grace as a dancer. Sadly, despite studying with Naheed for over two years and with other great teachers that followed, she hasn’t acquired the qualities that she had set her heart on in the first place. She is a better speaker than a dancer.

First Published:
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November 12th, 2006

Burning down the house
They come together with a common love: music. Performances by the Munchkins are eagerly awaited by those who know them and this is probably the only gig to which people actually come on time. The Munchkins are a four person band consisting of drummer-extraordinaire Gumby, popular bassist Ali Jafri, lead guitar player Murtaza Jafar aka K.V. whose claim-to-fame is playing on Ali Azmat’s album Social Circus and lastly Aamir Alavie, the vocalist of the band, whose incredibly versatile voice and powerhouse performance leaves the listener wanting for more.

The Munchkins have been doing gigs for roughly around four years. With Gumby and Ali Jafri being the only ones living in the same city, they perform whenever all the band-members get together, making the date of their performances unpredictable. With no posters put-up in popular shopping malls or ads given in newspapers, news of a Munchkins gig travels by word-of-mouth only, all of which adds up to the excitement that Munchkins fans get when informed of a gig taking place in the near future.

Back in 2002, Aamir Alavie, Murteza, Gumby, Ali Mufti and Asif were part of a band they called Euphoria. The departure of Asif and Ali Mufti from the band saw Ali Jafri’s arrival into it. Their first performance was at a popular donut place owned by a friend of the band-members. At a last-minute suggestion made Ali Jafri, they started calling themselves The Munchkins. According to Gumby, “The idea was to have fun and play the kind of music that we like. The fan following that we have generated has only been through word-of-mouth and we’d like to keep it that way” killing any questions of them going commercial.

The Munchkins recently performed at the same donut place and despite the gig being held on the third day of Eid, quite a few people showed up including those who have been faithfully attending every single Munchkins gig since the first. Ali Jafri wore his signature yellow shirt (how many does he have anyway?) and with the ‘eat shit’ written on Gumby’s drum-kit having visibly faded. They performed covers of songs by Maroon 5, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Led Zepplin, The Police and had the crowd singing along to most of the songs including the Kenny Loggins classic Danger Zone and Where the streets have no name by U2.

They performed over twenty songs and each band-member gave it his all with Aamir Alavie getting comfy with the mic-stand and Jafri bobbing his head while playing bass. Gumby who’s always a treat to “watch” during a performance as much as he is to listen didn’t disappoint either and banged his drum-set and swish-swooshed his hair in perfect-rhythm. One felt sorry for those whose view of the band was obstructed by the very large pillars set in the middle of the venue.

With the donut-place completely full with those who had wisely decided to arrive early, what was amusing to note was that not only did those who came late stay, but they stood outside the venue for the entire duration of the gig, having been forced to experience The Munchkins by peeking through the glass walls of the cafe. Followers of The Munchkins seem to be growing in number with every performance and the band should start considering performing in a venue that can accomodate, if not all, most of them.

The band members rocked the way they always do: with heart, soul and a whole lot of fun. However, one sorely missed a performance of Seal's Crazy, a song in which the limelight truly shines on Gumby and Crash by the Dave Mathews Band. Other then that, one cannot wait for the next time someone passes a message along about a potential Munchkins gig taking place in the near future.

Credits: Photos by Fayyaz Ahmed.

First Published:
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November 5th, 2006

An ode to Odissi
They arrived armed with cherubic smiles on heavily done up faces and costumes that aimed to mimic the styles and fashion of ancient South Asia. They took their places on stage and with the light shifting reflections on their faces, they showed different positions employed in Odissi —the most ancient of classical dance forms.

While a multimedia presentation gave the names and explained the concepts and histories behind each position, the little dancers, all of them students of Sadia Khan, alternated their hands, expressions and bodies to conform to the position being explained. For example, during the Khumba Baitha (meditative position), they would sit with knees bent, bakc perfectly straight and hands on either sides of their knees in a perfect ancient meditative position. Sadia Khan, who has been a student and teacher of Odissi for over a decade, recently hosted a complete Odissi performance at the Finance and Trade Centre (FTC). She has previously remained a student of our very own Sheema Kirmani and left for Delhi in 2000 to further her knowledge and skill in this art form under the patronage of Srimati Madhavi Mudgal and graduated from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya with a first division in Odissi. She is currently teaching classical dance and theatre at The National Academy of Performing Arts and The Centre for Advanced Studies.

Following the multimedia performance came a recital titled Mangalacharan, a tradiitonal introductory piece performed in Odissi. Sadia's little students came equipped with flowers paid their respects to the gods, gurus and the audience. The dance was simple but what was amusing to note that the little dancers tried very hard to maintain their balance during one of the more difficult standing positions.

Sadia’s entry on stage as a dancer came with a composition titled Jagannatha Ashtakam. She entered coyly form one of the white screens from the left side of the stage which depicted her silhouette clearly.the lighting became brighter with her appearance from behind the screen and she carried flowers in her hand. The sound of the bells from her ghungro resonated clearly in the auditorium. What followed were a series of dance postures that had previously been explained coupled with expressions depicting the mood of the composition being put together and performed as a dance. This was by far entertaining at first; however, too much of it, as it came in the following compositions made it somewhat monotonous. A composition which did stand out was the Madahave Ma Kuru. It was based on a twelfth century poem titled “The Gita Govinda” by Jayadeva. Translated verses from the poem in English appeared on the screen before it was performed and Sadia came on stage to explain what it was about. using a series of hand movements, no doubt employed while performing an Odissi dance, to explain the story of Radha and Krishna and their little love-tussle regarding Krishna’s unfaithful behaviour towards Radha and how her friend tries to help her overcome her feelings of anger and hurt.

The way Sadia elaborated on the poem by cleverly using her hands to depict the moon, the lotuses and how the friend tries to convince Radha to go back to Krishna was much more interesting to watch then the dance itself. The absence of other dances to fill in the roles of Krishna and Radha’s friend was sorely felt and I had to use my imagination as to what must have been going on around Radha while Sadia pranced about on stage playing the her role. The final dance sequence was about the dancer merding in with the dance. The dance was full of energy, which made it slightly better then the ones preceeding it.

One must keep in mind that Odissi is not exactly a very popular classical dance genre in Pakistan and to understand it better, an understanding of the culture and the mythology behind most of the dances is required. even though the evening started off well and was a welcome change from the regular Kathak or Bharatnatyam dance recitals that are somewhat the norm, one felt the evening had dragged a tad longer then it should have. Hopefully, with time, Odissi will grow on all of us enough for us to appreciate it as much as we do the other classical dance forms.

Credits: Photos by Amean J.

First Published:
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November 5th, 2006

Make love, not war

Strings went from being the boys next door to becoming international rock stars, getting international acclaim and becoming UNICEF Pakistan’s National Ambassadors for HIV and Aids in just a little more then a decade. With each successive album they released, their sound matured and their lyrics became more meaningful. Their songs had a knack for reaching out to a mass audience. Strings grew on all of us in such a way that their songs became what we hummed day and night, the sound of their kind of music became more and more familiar —to the point of it becoming easy to predict a typical Strings song from any other. It just might be about time they do something about that.

Their latest offering, Beirut, written by Anwar Maqsood, although primarily based on the recent bombing on Beirut, is about the implications that a war has on a society and its people. According to Bilal, who was speaking for himself and Faisal, “This song is not just about Beirut. It is about what is happening in the world around us. It’s an anti war song” he went on to elaborate how Faisal and himself, being fathers, were concerned about the younger generation growing up in an increasingly hostile world and the need for them to be more socio-politically conscious. He stresses that, “we didn’t want to promote us. We wanted to promote the subject”.

When questioned about writing the Beirut song, Anwar Maqsood replied, “Actually Faisal forced me to write that song. He had already composed the music for it and needed the lyrics. I based it on the movies on Beirut that I used to watch when I was younger. Around the same time, I was also doing a project on Lebonnen, so that also helped”. He also added that, “Overall the entire song took around two days to write”.

Having already written several popular Strings songs already, he is expected to be the sole lyricist for their upcoming album leading one to wonder: why him? “We are comfortable working with him. He understands our concepts and our music” replied Faisal, “being an artist himself, the way he writes songs tends to produce a very graphical picture of the concept we have in mind. Plus, he writes prose in a way that doesn’t make the language difficult to understand to anyone”.

Strings upcoming album is due sometime in the end of February, beginning of March, right after Moharram. The status on the album is that they have already composed all of the music and are currently spending time in the studio recording it. The lyrics for most of the songs still need to be written, but they have already come up with concepts for each of their songs. There is no particular theme that dominates the album, however, they have composed some songs that touch upon socio-political issues, not unlike Beirut.

One of the songs they are working on is based on terrorism, the lack of security and uncertainty that surrounds it. It is about a man who leaves his house not knowing whether or not he will be able to come back home. Being the official UNICEF Pakistan’s National Ambassadors for HIV and Aids, it comes as no surprise that there is also a song on Aids currently in the making. Strings hope to launch the song on December 1^st, World Aids Day.

They are currently undecided as to which label to sign up with in Pakistan but will definitely be signing up with Sony BMG in India. They are currently touring between Nepal, the United States and Switzerland.

One has to credit them for taking the initiative to ‘talk’ about issues that are currently affecting the greater world. The video of Beruit, although not entirely a piece of art, seems to be inspired by that of Sarah Mc. Lachlan’s “World on fire”. It graphically depicts the impact of wars, making it more ‘real’. Since time immemorial artistes have used their power and influence to generate attention and focus towards issues and events that had a major impact on certain groups of people. Wars have been stopped and people have been saved as a result of those efforts.

With the world becoming more and more global, nowadays, what affects only a certain group affects everyone else directly or indirectly and whether they like it or not. It’s about time that someone from the media used their creativity to snap most of us out of the materialistically-driven haze we seem to be perpetually lost in and made us sit up and take notice.

Photo: A screen shot from the video of Beirut, Strings latest anti-war song.

First Published:
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October 29th, 2006

To Norway and back
Norway, which has a very large desi community, has always been somewhat receptive when it comes to having local musicians perform for them. Looking back, Junoon was the first Pakistani band to perform in Norway back in 1999 to a full house at the Oslo Concert Hall. In September 2001, they went back again and collaborated with Morten Harket, a member of the popular Norwegian band A-ha, on a concert in which they jointly performed several songs.

Fast forward to 2006 and three sets of musicians from Pakistan recently went to Norway to perform at the World Music Festival in August. Shallum and Gumby collaborated with the Norwegian band Fryd, Overload (featuring Puppo Sain) and Atif Aslam, who was accompanied by guitarist Sarmad Ghafoor, and also performed on separate days during the festival.

Images decided to have a heart-to-heart with Ingrid Kindem of Fryd on its collaboration with desi musicians during the festival and on their future plans in Pakistan. Also, Farhad Humayun from Overload shared his experience of performing for a Norwegian audience.

“Fryd went to Pakistan for the first time because of the Norwegian company Telenor,” says Ingrid. They have a big international cultural programme and they wanted us to play a concert together with Fuzon at the launch in Islamabad in March 2005. It was very interesting for us to work with Fuzon so we wanted to develop the project together. Later on, we went to Karachi for studio work in both Immu’s and Shallum’s studio.

“Shallum wanted us to meet some of the local musicians and he introduced us to Gumby and Khalid, the bass-player. We had several jam-sessions in Shallum’s studio and had a lot of fun playing together with local musicians. Russell and some local vocalists also joined us. We played some standard jazz tunes together, some pop-covers and also original material composed by Fryd and Shallum. For us, the original music is the most interesting. Shallum has composed a lot of great instrumental music; he has definitely developed his own sounds-cape and character, and we hope to work on that material later on.

“We had a great time working with Shallum and Gumby in Karachi. They are really great musicians, open-minded and they challenge us to play our best. We wanted them to join us at a concert at the World Music Festival in Norway,” Ingrid said, continuing on how Fryd ended up collaborating with Shallum and Gumby in the festival. “We also included a tabla and a banjo player in the band. We rehearsed for several days to give this collaboration a special sound.

“The concert was a big venue outdoor, and the audience was really enthusiastic. Later on, we did a live concert at the National Norwegian Broadcasting which included an interview with Shallum,” he added.

Fryd ended up performing a track they titled Thumri. Lyrically, it was in a local language. How did that end up happening? “After working with Fuzon, we really wanted to learn more about Pakistani classical music. Fuzon gave us an introduction to some Pakistani raags and we found some similarities in traditional Norwegian folk music. Later on, we made a new song together based both on a raag and a Norwegian scale.

“Mocci wrote some Norwegian lyrics and Shafqat made a similar lyric in Urdu. Last year, Fryd did some studio-recordings in Lahore, and we tried to record a classical thumri song. The guys in the studio helped us a lot and Mocci really worked hard to sing the lyrics in Urdu,” related Ingrid. “A lot of people liked the arrangement and the way we played the song, so we developed it to include some Norwegian lyrics as well. I'm sure we will develop a lot of songs this way. Music is a great and universal language. You don’t always have to understand the lyrics, but you can feel what this is about when good musicians perform.”

And what is your perception of the Pakistani audience? “They are curious, enthusiastic and friendly. What more can you ask for? We want to come back soon,” replied Ingrid enthusiastically. “Fryd has fallen in love with Pakistan and we are absolutely thrilled to return in November. The Pakistani people are so friendly; we have a lot to learn from them.”

Elaborating on their plans of coming to Pakistan, Ingrid told us, “The tour with the Norwegian-Pakistani Collaboration will be set in a few days and it seems like Shallum will be a part of that project.” Details of their visit include a concert in Islamabad on November 9, and after a performance and a short studio stint in Lahore, they plan to perform in Karachi on the 18 or the 19.

Moving on, Farhad related what Norway was initially like for them. “We were scheduled to play two gigs in Oslo at the festival at the Docklands. We were situated at a downtown hotel where all the nightlife is and all the decadent artistes hang out. The Oslo jazz fest was on so we took out the time to hear some good authentic jazz. The weather was cool and breezy –– perfect for us to kick up a storm. Ours was the only band which was at the venue well before the others for a thorough sound check, so we sounded really good as the opening act for the festival and got the groove going for other bands to follow.”

Talking about the festival, he says, “It was a three day fest. The first day was pretty desi in terms of the crowd turn out and artistes that played, although the Danish band Outlandish also played that night. The second and third days were dedicated to world music. We saw a great Egyptian band, a Palestinian band with a female singer and another big band with a great horn section. Other than music, there was food and a separate booth for poetry, cross-cultural discussions and debate. It was fun because we didn’t expect Norway to be so multicultural.”

How was the response that Overload got? “Phenomenal. Absolutely fantastic. I don’t want to praise the band unnecessarily but I must say each member of the band played like this festival was his last. God has been very kind. We were signing autographs and getting pictures taken right after we got off stage. Especially at the second gig, we had a turnout of about 100,000 people. It was a long street that accommodated the audience and we could see this wave — people just jumping and dancing and bouncing — like there were springs in their shoes. It was crazy.”

After performing at the festival and becoming acquainted with different international musicians and artistes, are there any future collaborations that we should be looking out for? “Well, I don’t know about collaborating with artistes in Norway, but right after the festival, the Sains headed back home and Sheraz, Hassan and I went to Barcelona where we had lined up some casual club gigs.”

On a more serious note, he said, “Most people aren’t clear about the fact that the three of us are Overload and we collaborate with other artistes like we did with Shafqat Amanat on the album and are currently touring with Pappoo and Joora Sain. We are talking to other European artistes so there might be something on that front in the future. But it’s clear that the next album and following gigs will feature more artistes.”

What would you have to say if you were to make a comparison between the Pakistani audience and the Norwegian audience? “The Norwegian audience is better educated in music. They will listen more than dance unnecessarily. They think and are receptive and are generous in appreciation which works out better for a band like ours which are completely instrumental at the moment. I feel the same way about the Japanese audience,” said Farhad, relating to Overload’s last performance in Japan.

“The Pakistani concert audience is more like a sports audience. Quick, emotional, noisy and crazy — which is fun too, but I think it’s better suited for pop/ vocal artistes — because Pakistani people generally like to be involved in every happening, whether it’s a car accident or a story about somebody whose daughter eloped. Pakistani people relate better to words/ vocals. That’s why the music of our artistes is weaker than the vocal content usually.”

With foreign artistes coming to Pakistan and providing local audiences with a fresh, new angle to music and with desi musicians travelling and collaborating with musicians abroad, one can hope that this exposure will result in a greater variety and enhanced richness in the music that local bands are currently churning out.

The fact that compositions made by local musicians are not only being recognised but are also gaining appreciation should also affirm that there is no dearth to talent in Pakistan, once a person puts heart and soul into what s/he’s doing. As for festivals, we still have a long way to go before we can host our own.
















Photos:
— Morten Harket in the studio with Ali Azmat and Brian O Connel (background)
— The musicians in Oslo: Overload, Atif Aslam, Shallum, Gumby and Fryd.

First Published:
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October 15, 2006

The Blue Raag

They emerged as a promising new rock band after attaining victory in the Pespi Battle of the Bands in 2001. Their first video, Sawal, skyrocketed them into commercial success and henceforth began the anticipation regarding the release of their debut album.

It seemed everything was going in the right direction for them — their songs were doing well on the charts, their fans were growing in numbers by the day and a major sponsor was backing their first album. What more could anyone ask for? More so, why would anyone want to mess that up?

Aaroh, the band in question, takes its name from an eastern classical term, aarohi, which in simple words means “ascending a scale”. The initial success Aaroh experienced also made them more susceptible to enticing offers from here and across the border. A person who found one of the offers tempting was Nabeel Chisti (the then lead guitarist of the band) who, along with Kamran Khan (keyboard player) hopped across the border and signed music deals with industry individuals in India allegedly using the band’s name without the prior consent of the other two founding members of Aaroh, Farooq Ahmed (vocalist) and Khalid Khan (bassist).

A tug of war between the two groups ensued over who rightfully owned the band’s name and songs in the first album. A court case later decided the issue for them: everything by Aaroh legally belonged to Farooq and Khalid. With popular hits like Jalan, Sawal, Jeay and Na Kaho, Aaroh’s debut album Sawal, although marred by controversy, attained a relatively good level of success. One question, however, remained unanswered: how much of its success could be attributed to the contribution made by Nabeel?

Nabeel’s exit marked the entry of Haider Hashimi into the band, then a relatively unknown figure in the industry. He not only had to learn and adapt his own formula to what Nabeel had left behind, but also had to ‘prove’ himself in order to come out of Nabeel’s shadow. Aaroh’s current lineup consists of Farooq (vocals), Khalid (bass guitar), Haider (lead guitar) and Jason (drums).

With two videos from Aaroh’s second and upcoming album, Yaara and Pyaar Ka Jaal, both written and composed by Haider, having already done pretty well on the charts, one would say Haider has more than just redeemed his position in the band: he has quietly proved that as a musician, composer and songwriter, he is a force to reckon with.

Farooq claims that most of the songs in the new album have been written and composed by Haider. However, when confronted, Haider refused to take individual credit, saying that it was all a “group effort.”

With the launch of Aaroh’s second album, Raag Neela, just around the corner, Images decided to take a sneak preview into what the new Aaroh has to offer to its devoted fans. For their second album, Aaroh has signed up with The Musik Records as its record label.

The song Khuda begins with Farooq singing in a haunting, almost hypnotic voice tinged with emotion. The song is one of Aaroh’s softer songs and has a small guitar solo near the middle with a distinct bass line towards the end. Following Khuda in the softer, more soulful category is Woh Jo Kehday Mujhay. Heartrendingly romantic, the song talks about giving one’s self up to one’s object of affection.

Where no one can really top the queen of sufi soul, Abida Parveen, Aaroh’s rocked up version of her classic Mahi Yaar Di Gharoli is nevertheless, catchy. I personally feel that the live version is much more exciting. However, what comes as a relief is that the song, although rocked up, still maintains a certain simplicity about it; it has not been ruined by over-the-top guitar solos or vocals extending beyond reasonable-breath. The mix and the music are just right to have Aaroh ‘owning’ a classic without disrespecting it.

The title track Raag Neela came somewhat as a pleasant surprise. It pumps energy in a similar manner that the Abida Parveen cover, done by Aaroh, exudes when performed live. Farooq seems to enjoy himself while singing this particular track and one can trace an intriguing mixture of irony and amusement in the way that he has rendered this song. Backed by a strong composition, needless to say dominated by powerful guitar-music, the neela raag definitely stands out as one of the better tracks in the album and deserves to be put on the playback mode.

Although the song Pyaar Ka Jaal is now familiar to most due the heavy airplay its video received on the tube, it still manages to stand out in the album and comes across as a strong song. With lyrics dealing with the darker side of love, broken promises and anguish that accompanies heartbreak, Pyaar Ka Jaal is still very much listenable.

Where there are so many good songs in the album, there is one that failed to rise up to one’s expectations, Ek Cha, the only song in the album written by Shafqat Amanant Ali. It seems mellow compared to the raw emotion depicted in the rest of the songs in the album. Ek Cha may appeal to some listeners, but as a song, it’s a little too ‘safe’ and lacks a certain edge. Also, Jeet Lo, Daira and Jo Ankhon Mein Aanso somehow fail to stand out. Confronted with much stronger songs such as Yaara, Pyaar Ka Jaal, Khuda, Woh Jo Kehday Mujhay, Mahi Yaar Di Gharoli and Raag Neela, these songs fade in comparison and somehow just don’t cut it.

Although initially promised to be a very ‘dark’ album, Raag Neela continues to embody the raw emotion and intensity that initially defined Aaroh; however it does have a light funky element to it. It may finally prove to some individuals that rock is not restricted to dark, melancholy music and depressing subjects. Rather, it can be experimented with and be used with to express the same emotions with a lighter angle. Aaroh’s Raag Neela definitely has new flavour and is overall a good album to have.

First Published:

Images

October 8th, 2006